This invention relates to a child resistant closure cap for selectively gaining acess to a container and more particularly to a child resistant overcap for an aerosol or similar type of can.
It is a well known problem that serious health damage can occur to young children who have a tendency to play with various containers found in a typical household. Such containers may, by way of example, contain pharmaceutical preparations and in the case of aerosol containers, may dispense a fine spray of insecticide, paint and other chemicals which can severely injure the child. The problem is extremely serious and has been recognized in legislation entitled "The Poison Prevention Packaging Act," which Act was enacted in 1970. This Act recognizes that there is a direct need to protect young children from such injuries and to therefore place a duty upon a manufacturer to include in the design of a container carrying such substances, a child resistant or child proof closure.
The prior art is extremely cognizant of the problem and a plethora of patents exist which attempt to solve this problem in many ways. In view of such references, it is beyond a doubt that there is a recognized need for such safety packaging to prevent injuries to children. The prior art discloses a number of various devices, which devices purport to do so and which devices operate to discourage or prevent the child from inadvertently opening a container which houses a deleterious substance. As one can ascertain from viewing the prior art, there are various and diverse techniques for implementing such structure.
Patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,454 entitled SAFETY CONTAINER AND CLOSURE STRUCTURES issued on Oct. 5, 1971 to D. M. Malick discloses a safety device which operates to latch a cap to a bottle or container so that normal rotation of the cap will not cause it to be removed from the bottle. In accordance with this structure, the cap contains holding means which are forced between the threads of the bottle and by application of a force to the top of the cap, the holding means are dislodged to enable the threads to properly engage and to therefore permit one to remove the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,574 entitled TAMPERPROOF CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS issued on Jan. 1, 1974 to R. W. Rumble depicts a locking device where a cap contains a number of projections and can be emplaced upon a container which has coacting slots on the surface. The apparatus enables removal of the cap at only one particular orientation and hence, tends to discourage a child from inadvertent removal.
Other patents as U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,200 issued to W. J. Marks on Feb. 26, 1974 entitled SAFETY CLOSURE AND PACKAGING depict a cap which can be pressed down upon to lock it to a container. It will freely rotate, but cannot be removed. By selectively rotating the cap to a predetermined position, one can release the cap assembly from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,607, entitled CHILD RESISTANT OVERCAP FOR AEROSOL OR LIKE CONTAINERS issued on Apr. 9, 1974 to K. C. Mead discloses a locking device for an aerosol container. A cap designated as an overcap has an inner shell and an outer shell, which outer shell is capable of being distorted by exerting a pressure to the same. The inner and outer shells are coaxially arranged and are connected together by aligned webs or struts. The inner shell has locking means which engage a flange associated with the container and by the application of a force applied to the outer shell, it is transmitted via the struts to distort the inner shell and cause a release of the locking mechanisms.
Other patents as U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,802 also depict locking means for aerosol containers and enable disengagement of the cap from the container by an axial motion followed successively by a rotative motion of the cap relative to the locking mechanisms.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,194 shows a safety container which requires a selective tilting when a cap is aligned with the container and an upward force is exerted to the cap.
Essentially, these are but a few of the references which exist in the prior art and which all attempt to provide a safety closure for a container to thereby prevent young children from inadvertently gaining access to the contents. It is clear that the above devices are quite diverse and operate on various principles such as selective rotation and alignment or the exertion of predetermined force at a particular point. It is further clear that certain of these devices, especially those relating to aerosol containers, are extremely complicated and difficult to manufacture due to their composite structure such as containing inner and outer shell mechanisms. Such devices are integrally formed by a plastic molding technique and hence, devices as those depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,866,802 and 3,802,607 require relatively complicated molds and utilize a relatively large amount of raw material, such as a suitable plastic.
The common feature between many of the structures depicted above and others existing in the prior art is the complicated structure and hence, such structures require considerable expenses and difficulties in implementing the manufacture of such containers and caps. It is also apparent that many of the devices depicted in the prior art are extremely difficult to open, both from a child's point of view as well as an adult's point of view and hence, many such structures have never been employed commercially.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved child resistant closure cap, which cap is economical to manufacture, while providing an extreme deterrent against the inadvertent opening of the same by a child. The cap to be described is particularly adaptable to be emplaced and employed with an aerosol container, although other containers such as bottles and so on can be used together with the structure. It is a prime intent of the present cap structure to utilize a common container configuration, which container requires little or no modification to accommodate the cap structure according to this invention.